Meatless Meals Your Husband Won't Mind

I married a true meat and potatoes kind of man. And to be honest, I am a meat and potatoes loving kind of gal... so it pretty much works. Yet every once in awhile, for both health and budgeting purposes, I try to serve meatless dinners.

I love baked Mediterranean veggie dishes, don't mind beans or lentils, and could survive on crunchy peanut butter indefinitely. My husband has a harder time stomaching such kitchen ventures.

Trying to strike a compromise in the kitchen, here are a few dinners that he is {mostly} happy with {on occasion}, no meat required.

Breakfast for Dinner. Pancakes or French Toast {especially when served with fresh berries} are big family favorites around here. While we'd all prefer them with a little bacon, no one complains when I serve them cheesy scrambled eggs for protein instead.

Pizza. I make this homemade crust recipe often, mostly because it is so quick and easy. Then I just toss on whatever toppings we might have on hand- bell peppers, sweet corn {new to me when I married Niall, but apparently totally normal in Ireland}, fried onions, etc.

Homemade Refried Beans. This recipe is so very delicious- I've served it to friends who didn't think they liked refried beans, and made converts out of them. I either wrap them up into burritos, or serve them with veggies and tortilla chips for dipping. That is more of a snacky dinner, which makes it more fun. And simple for this mama to prepare.

Also, hot tip: pick up the large bag of pinto beans at Aldi, and make them all up into refried beans at one time. I freeze them in old peanut butter and pickle jars so that I always have some on hand to pull out in a pinch.

Soup and Bread. A simple vegetable soup or vegetarian chili may not be too thrilling on it's own, but paired with a loaf of fresh homemade bread {each slice coated heavily in butter} and now we are talking :). Some of my favorite loafs to make are this honey whole wheat. failproof french bread, and artisan bread in 5 minutes a day.

Chickpea Curry. We love a good Indian dish around here. While I would much rather eat it out then make it myself, chickpea curry with coconut milk {most recently, this recipe at our house} is one meatless meal that I can count on my husband enjoying. I like to serve it with a side of garlic naan.

Are you able to get away with meatless cooking in your kitchen? What recipes does your whole family enjoy?